Safe Use of Herbal Medicine - Coursework Example

Introduction Herbal medicine is the application of herbs to treat health problems and improve wellbeing. Herbal medicine is used to heal various health problems such as anxiety, arthritis, depression, high blood pressure, insomnia, etc. as well as skin problems for instance eczema and other disorders. They can act on the body like other artificial medicine and hence need to be taken with care. Herbal medicines are provided by an experienced herbalist. Herbal medicine originated from ancient cultures such as Egyptians, American Indians as well as Chinese (Marcus, 2009). Generally, herbs are concerned with the use medicinal plants to treat health problems and improve health and wellbeing. Herbs aim to restore the body to a state of natural balance, so that it can begin treating itself. Various herbal products act on different body systems. Some herbs have been researched and proved to be effective and safe. A number of herbs have active ingredients and should be taken with the equal care as pharmaceutical medicines. Actually, a number of pharmaceutical drugs are derived from synthesized forms of naturally occurring elements found in herbs. For example, the heart disease drug digitalis was extracted from the plant foxglove (Ulbricht and Basch, 2005). In the recent past, interest in herbal medicine has increased tremendously, resulting to a more scientific study in their application. Research shows that herbs are capable of treating health problems and enhancing health, sometimes with no substantial side effects. For the last decade Herbal medicine has become more and more popular and now they are used by at least 20 percent of the global population (Abeloff, 2012). Herbal medicine are intricate mixtures of organic compounds that may derived from any raw part of a herb, such as leaves, stems, flowers, roots, seeds etc. At the moment, Herbal medicines are taken as dietary supplements, and producers can thus manufacture, sell, and market them without first proving their safety and effectiveness, as is needed for pharmaceutical drugs (Ernst, 2011). Unfortunately, there is little or no scientific proof to determine the safety and efficiency of many herbal medicines. Research shows that less than half of herbal medicines in use have scientific proof suggesting efficacy, however concerns over safety and a consideration of other medical treatment may interfere with the decision to use them (Abeloff, 2012). Specialists in herbal medicine argue that an active ingredient can lose its effect or become unsafe, if taken in isolation from the rest of the herb (Velasquez and Bhathena, 2007).For example, salicylic acid is extracted from a plant called meadowsweet and is used to manufacture aspirin. Aspirin can cause the wall of the large intestine to bleed, however meadowsweet usually contains other elements that neutralize the irritant effects of salicylic acid. According to Ernst, (2011) the effect of the entire herb is greater than its parts. Advice to users Herbal therapies are medicines. And like any other medicine, they should be taken with care while first ensuring they are the correct products for a particular disease. It is worth to note that the word ‘‘herbal’ does not essentially imply safe. Several herbs can be harmful to human beings, and most pharmaceutical drugs have been produced from herbs utilizing the powerful element they contain. Any drug whether herbal drug or otherwise has the capacity to have side effects. Herbal medicines can interact with other medicines. This can lead to decreased or enhanced effects of the other drugs. It is always wise to disclose to the physician that you are having surgery or an operation. Like all drugs, herbal medicines should be kept out of the reach of children. The best advice for patients when it comes to purchasing herbal products online is to be cautious. There is a global trade in bad quality, uncontrolled and unlicensed herbal medicines. A number of these have been known to have banned medicinal elements or heavy metals which are harmful. Herbal products may also contain poisonous herbs that are not permitted in the country, and patients should be aware that unlicensed herbal products made outside the country may not be subject to any kind of actual regulation (Knox and Gaster, 2007). As with any resolution to use a medicine the decision to take an herbal medicine should involve a dialogue between the user and doctor of the possible risks, advantages, and options. Such a dialogue might lead the patients to select a different alternative, or to go on with a trial of the medicine while observing for possible harmful effects. But , a recent research effort found that individuals believe doctors may be biased against herbs which may inform why many individuals rarely discuss these with their doctors (Ernst, 2011). Unfortunately, due to the regulatory structure at place and the inadequate available information on safety and efficacy of herbal medicine, the discussion of risks must point the potential for harmful effects from active ingredients or drug interactions. Additionally, the discussion of benefits sometimes depicts a lack of evidence. Despite the largely poor risk–benefit examination for many herbs, it may be sound to use definite herbs for patients who have health conditions where there is no known effective cure, or when standard treatments have not been allowed or have failed to lead to improvements (Rotblatt and Ziment, 2008). Cure with an herbal medicine should be tightly supervised by a doctor, to help identify benefits or harmful effects and to decide whether treatment should proceed or be discontinued. Groups at risk The safety of various herbal products has not been ascertained in specific groups such as pregnant women, breastfeeding women, children and the elderly. Caution should thus be taken when using herbal drugs, or giving them to especially persons in these groups. As a rule, individuals with a history of liver or kidney problem or any other serious health problem should not to take herbal medicine without consulting a physician (Abeloff, 2012). It is worth for individuals to discuss their herbal medicines with their physician before they undergo operation. In some situations it is essential to stop the herbal medicine some days before the operation. Concerns have been raised that several herbal drugs should be stopped prior to an operation (Marcus, 2009). This is due to the fact that a number of herbal medicines could result to complications by tempering with anesthetics and other compounds used before, during or after operation. In addition, there are concerns that various herbal products may themselves temper with blood clotting and blood pressure. For instance, garlic and ginkgo have been found to temper with blood clotting systems and may raise the risk of bleeding during operation (Swerdlow, 2000). Due to the inadequate information available on herbal products it is hard to provide specific guidance on when they should be stopped before operation. All drugs, including herbal ones, may cause adverse effects or undesirable reactions. If an individual have had a reaction with herbal medicine, he should stop using it and consult a doctor. If someone else has had an undesirable reaction after taking an herbal medicine you should let the doctor know. This in essence helps doctors to give advice to other individuals The future of herbal medicine Several studies have suggested a number of significant changes to the control of herbs that could enhance the safety and proper use of these products (Knox and Gaster, 2007). These suggested changes include requiring producer of herbs to register with the relevant authorities, requiring safety tests similar to those required for over-the-counter medicines , mandating all treatment claims to be backed by information approved by the relevant authorities and making sure that labels offer an correct list of all ingredients. While these modifications will definitely help boosts the safety of herbal medicines, more changes are required to enhance and promote high-quality studies on the herbal medicine. The most significant factor will be to outline particular standards for herbal medicines to ensure evenness between studies. Even recent research that used proper research methods were open to questioning about the formulation of the herbal medicine used since no clear, well-founded standard of the chemical fingerprint exists for most frequently used herb medicine (Abeloff, 2012). The determination to create standards for herbal medicine is most likely to be effective if supported and harmonized by the relevant authorities. Studies would also continue more hastily if various form of patent safeguards existed, so that producers who invest in costly research and record the effectiveness of their herbal medicine could be compensated financially. Finally, approaches to hasten the development of research would help deal with the many herbal medicines that have inadequate evidence of safety and efficacy. In a number of countries herbal medicines are categorized as drugs and are controlled. While still not generally agreed, herbs are being taught more in medical schools. More people are learning about the advantages and disadvantages of using herbs to help treat health problems. Some people including physicians are trained in herbs. They can aid people form treatment plans that use herbal medicines, conventional drugs, and lifestyle changes to enhance health. Conclusion Used properly, herb medicine can help treat several heal problems, and in most cases, may have less harmful effects than several traditional medications. However, since they are unregulated, herbal medicine are sometimes mislabeled and may contain additives that are not listed on the label. Some herbal medicine may cause allergic reactions with normal drugs, and some are harmful if used wrongly. Taking herbal medicine on your own increases your risk, and therefore it is essential to consult with your physician before taking herbal products. Research indicates that more 20 percent of global population has used herbal medicine (Ernst, 2011). Unfortunately, majority of the herbal medicines available have little or no evidence concerning safety or efficacy. But, since nearly 30 percent of all pharmaceutical drugs were initially extracted from plants, there is a potential to find real treatment from the natural plants. The current control of herbal does not make sure that available herbal products are safe, and wrong and unlawful advertising claims are popular. A number of changes to the control of herbal medicines could radically improve the proper use of herbal products. Future studies will be best aided by the formation of standards for the components of particular herbs, more incentives for studies, and the creation of research designs that lowers costs and study period. Reference Abeloff. A. (2012): Abeloffs Clinical Oncology. Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone, An Imprint of Elsevier. De Smet P. (2002). Herbal remedies. N Engl J Med. Ernst E (2011). Herbal Medicine in the Treatment of Rheumatic Diseases. Rheumatic Diseases Clinics of North America. Fugh-Berman A (2003). The 5-Minute Herb & Dietary Supplement Consult. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Knox J, Gaster, B. (2007). Dietary supplements for the prevention and treatment of coronary artery disease. J Altern Complement Med.; Marcus DM (2009). Therapy: Herbals and supplements for rheumatic diseases. Nat Rev Rheumatol. Moquin B, Blackman M, Mitty E, Flores, S (2009). Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). Geriatr Nurs. (3) Ulbricht C, Basch, E (2005). 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